It's good to read up on these things, so that's why I really appreciate your diary. Gold also had some serious articles published without the poor arguments Bainerman's piece highlighted. I can try to get hold of them, if you're interested.

So yes who knows: maybe abiotic oil is possible - but I highly doubt it occurs in the quantities Gold predicts. Yet repainting biotic oil into abiotic oil is rather ludicrous - never a good way to introduce your theory by beginning with "everything you believe is false!".